


happy

by evaneddie



Series: dhylen writes one shots [57]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Buck in a crop top, Chris is an angel, Eddie's birthday, M/M, because i feel we all need that positivity and halpiness in out lives, im here to start a trend of buck in a crop top, in canon and in fics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:08:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24754492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evaneddie/pseuds/evaneddie
Summary: eddie doesn't normally celebrate his birthday, so when chris tells buck that it's coming up, he's of course going to plan a party for his best friend.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: dhylen writes one shots [57]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1433956
Comments: 13
Kudos: 221





	happy

**Author's Note:**

> this was super fun to write. i hope you enjoy 💖
> 
> prompt from karenwilson on tumblr:  
> Okay but Eddie not really celebrating his birthday every year (maybe doesn't even tell the team what day it is) and Chris being the adorable sweetheart he is, wants his dad to have the best birthday ever (esp since he's had a pretty eventful year) so he enlists the help of Buck, who naturally goes out of his way to make sure Eddie has a great day.

"Bucky?" Christopher pipes up from the coffee table, where he sits building his fire department Lego set, pausing his motions once he's sure the door to the bathroom has been closed behind his father.

"What's up kiddo?" Buck responds, flicking his attention away from the television screen.

"You're com- coming over tomorrow, right?" 

Buck furrows his brows for a moment, wondering why Chris would be asking that when Buck is already sitting right here. "Uh, I'm here now buddy. I'm sure you and your dad want a break from me for a little bit, it's already been nearly three straight days."

It happens a lot, much to Buck's - and the Diaz boys - pleasure, that he joins in on their family time. It isn't often they get a consecutive few days away from work, and at the same time as one another. But when they do, they spend it together, and with the young boy. Saturday is their last day of leave until they go back for long 24 hour shifts.

"I never want a break from my Buck," he states matter of factly, placing a yellow brick of Lego onto the table below his hand. "But you have to come anyway. Daddy would like that. It would be a good surprise present."

Present? "What do you mean?" Buck leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, placing his chin in one of his palms, showing Christopher that he has his full attention.

"His birthday. He's happy when you're around, and it would be nice for him to be happy with you here on his birthday."

Shit. Thankfully, somewhere in his life, Buck had learned impulse control when it came to being around children, because if he hadn't, he may have been close to cursing out loud in front of his best friend's son. 

But, Buck had known Eddie for two years now, and somehow Eddie's birthday was never topic of any of their deep conversations. Over time, they had spoken about little random and meaningless things, to their most hidden secrets and fears. They told each other everything. Buck really must be a shitty friend if he didn't even know Eddie's birthday.

"Please Buck. You make him happy, and I like seeing him happy," pleads Christopher again, his eyes twinkling in the low light emitting from the LCD screen playing an animated movie nobody is paying attention to any longer. 

"I make him happy?" Not the point to be made here, but it's the one he goes with, the one he so desperately needs an answer to, even if he refuses to admit it to anyone else but himself.

Christopher nods softly, but before any other words can be exchanged between them, Eddie returns to the couch, carefully plopping himself down next to Buck, closer to his side than before his short adventure away.

The rest of the afternoon goes by without many bumps. Buck idly thinks about how he's going to give Eddie a nice birthday that he will remember for years to come. It won't be something extravagant, nothing too over the top, just their chosen family having a nice get together with some good food, and laughter.

It will be perfect, even if there's only a mere twenty hours to plan it.

It's a rush to get everything done, but it works out in the end. Inviting Eddie over to his apartment for "a few drinks" and "pizza with Chris" took way less time to work on convincing than he had expected. Hen and Karen had brought over the two homemade caramel mud cakes - Eddie's favourite - and they are chilling in the fridge, waiting for the guest of honour to arrive. Maddie and Chimney had worked on finger foods like salads - both the fruit and vegetable kind-, cheese and crackers, and mini sandwiches. Athena and Bobby had brought an assortment of meat on a platter, while Michael had arrived with the drinks.

Everything was set up and ready to go.

They are all aware not to yell 'surprise' as to not spook Eddie, but instead to just all simultaneously - but casually - give him happy birthday wishes. 

Buck chose to wear a brightly coloured shirt in the colour he can only describe as a blood orange, and it's cropped just a little higher than most others he has in his closet, exposing a small sliver of flesh expanding across his lower stomach. Paired with a pair of faded jeans, Buck has never felt more confident in his appearance than he does at this moment, even if he did get side eyed a few times from the team and his sister. Though, nobody seemed to mind it, which he knew they wouldn't. He assumes they were all just a bit taken aback to see Buck in something like this. Hen even complimented the shirt. He's never smiled so wide in his life, when not counting all his moments with Eddie and Christopher.

Buck had even managed to get Abuela and Tia Pepa to come over, laughing in love and happiness the moment they both showed up, bombarding him with cheek and forehead kisses, multiple hugs, and kind words in Spanish.

When the door to the entryway of Buck's home clicks open, his eyes immediately travel to Eddie's face, searching for a reaction, waiting to see what he would express.

"Happy birthday, Eds," Buck says when Chris looks up at his dad, a huge smile slapped on his face and stuck there with some Krazy Glue.

"Chris," Eddie sighs, attempting to sound cranky, like he's giving a warning. But his gentle smirk gives away the fact that he is nothing of the sort. At least not with Christopher.

Buck interrupts any further conversation. "Don't. He only told me because he loves you."

Ruffling his son's hair, Eddie smiles down at the boy, before stepping away and towards Buck. Buck hadn't been expecting a hug, but he stretches his arms out anyway, welcoming the embrace.

The embrace that doesn't come. But instead, he feels a gentle grip on his wrist. "We need to talk."

Oh. Those four words are never good. 

Buck doesn't budge, his feet cemented to the ground in fear. He really hopes he hasn't messed everything up, everything they worked so hard to get to.

The rest of the guests lightly scatter around the apartment, Maddie leading Chris to get a drink and probably some food.

"Eddie, I'm sorry. I thought it would be nice for you to-"

Slotting his words in over the top of Buck's, Eddie lets go of his grip and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I wish you had asked me first."

"I didn't mean to upset you, really," Buck explains. "I just want you to be happy, to celebrate the amazing person you are."

"I know, and I'm grateful, I really am. What you did is beautiful." Trailing off at the end of his sentence, Eddie sighs.

"But?"

"Growing up, I never really enjoyed my birthday. My parents are amazing people, and so good at making sure we had everything we needed. But my dad wasn't always around, he worked a lot." There's heavier implications under those words, guilt of his own absence in Christopher's life, but Buck doesn't push that button, not now.

Continuing, Eddie looks Buck right in the eyes. "And that put a lot of pressure on my mum, and of course me and my sisters too, having to step up at a young age. But sometimes, my parents had ways of making me feel so small, like nothing I did was ever good enough. As time went on, I just got less and less excited about birthdays and more reserved within myself until I stopped altogether." 

"You can rewrite your fate, Eds. You're not destined to be doomed. You have people that love you, that care about you, that want to celebrate you, if you let them," Buck says, not sure what else he can come up with to smooth things over.

"I know. I'm sorry for acting like a dick. Thank you, Evan, for all of this."

"Always." Buck allows himself to be pulled into Eddie's arms, and melts the moment he feels the man bury his face into the crook of his neck. 

"Did you really wear a crop top to my birthday party?" Eddie asks him, still holding on.

Feeling his face heat up, Buck dips his head even lower, matching Eddie's head position. 

"Don't be embarrassed, I like it. You look good. And the colour makes your birthmark really pop." Then suddenly, he's pulling away, and as much as Buck misses the connection, he's soon not too bothered about it because Eddie's fingers are tracing the edges of the pink flesh above his eyebrow, and his other hand is cupping his cheek, pulling him in for the quickest of kisses.

Though it may be chaste and barely considered a kiss, Buck finds himself breathless, and grinning like an idiot. 

"We will continue that later, but for now," Eddie whispers, taking Buck's hand in his own, "for now, we enjoy our family's company."


End file.
